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With the end of fiscal 2013 just over a month away, many agencies are wrapping up their furlough days. Some agencies have even reduced the number of unpaid leave days they originally thought they would need. This graphic depicts the total number of furlough days originally declared by agencies versus the number of furloughs actually taken.
The majority of furlough-related appeals the Merit Systems Protection Board has received - 98 percent - have come from civilian employees of the Defense Department. Of the 30,000-plus furlough appeals, MSPB has entered more than 16,000 into its system. The agency says it expects to have most of the appeals docketed shortly after Labor Day.
In the weeks leading up to March 1, agencies across government have painted increasingly dire pictures of life under sequestration. Along with hiring freezes, spending reductions, and curtailed travel and training, many agencies are planning for furloughs. With Federal News Radio's Sequestration Tracker, find out how agencies have said they'll slash their budgets to comply with the $85 billion in across-the-board cuts.
The Defense chief information officer is expected to update one directive to expand the number and type of devices that must meet the military's cybersecurity requirements. The Pentagon also will issue a second revised directive to move DoD closer to civilian agencies around risk management of IT systems.
Al Qaida latest terror plot has a huge impact without them even launching an attack. That according to intelligence and law enforcement officials all over the world is one of the big pay-offs for Al Qaida and other terrorist groups involved in the recent Embassy plots overseas. Authorities say the main goal of these groups is to frighten people, force governments to spend money and resources to react to the plots, and to achieve publicity for themselves.
The Pacific Ocean is big enough for both the U.S. China. That's what the Chinese Secretary of Defense says. But posturing between the U.S. and China seems to suggest something different. During a joint news conference at the Pentagon Gen. Chang Wanquan agreed with US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel t that there is room for greater U.S.-China military cooperation, including joint exercises and high-level visits.
Michele Flournoy, the former undersecretary of defense for policy, says the time is ripe for the Department of Defense to look at its mission and how it motivates people to cut costs and reduce its overhead.
US drones in Iraq. They've been there before. But could they be there again? Iraq's top diplomat wants them there to help fight Al Qaida. Iraqi's foreign minister is Hoshyar Zebari says Iraqi forces need U.S. help with surveillance and analyzing intelligence. He suggests that an unspecified but limited number of American counterterror advisers could be stationed in Iraq to help its military deter a recent spike in deadly attacks.
Out of 300 employers to be recognized for creating flexible workplaces this year, the William Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies is the only federal entity that made the cut.
Ron Young, executive director of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program and Phillip Selleh, program manager for the VA Accelerator, will discuss how their organizations are helping veterans when they return to or enter the civilian workforce. August 16, 2013
News and buzz in the acquisition and IT communities that you may have missed this week.
Two furloughed feds share how they turned the negative of an unpaid day off into a positive. One performed service projects for the community where he lives. The other launched a website to keep feds informed about sequestration and furloughs.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel orders seven reforms based on existing "best practices" inside and outside of DoD. Critics call the announcement a missed opportunity for more sweeping changes in the fight against military sexual assault.
On this week's Pentagon Solutions, Beth McGrath, deputy chief management officer at the Defense Department, breaks down the newly released Strategic Management Plan.